“He said, ‘Do you know what you did to Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant?’ (89) They said, ‘Are you indeed Joseph?’ He said, ‘I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly favored us. Indeed, whoever fears Allah and is patient, Allah does not allow the reward of those who do good to go to waste.’ (90)

Regarding His saying, “Do you know what you did to Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant?” they differed over what prompted Joseph to say this. Ibn Ishaq said: “I was informed that, when they spoke to him in this manner, he was overcome with tenderness and his tears flowed profusely (1). Thus, he revealed to them what he had been concealing from them (2).”

Al-Kalbi said: He said this only after he told his brothers that Malik ibn Dhu'r had said, “I found a boy in a well whose circumstances were such and such, and I purchased him for such-and-such dirhams.” They said, “O King, it was we who sold that boy.” This angered Joseph, and he ordered that they be killed. They were taken away to be executed, whereupon Judah turned away, saying, “Jacob grieved and wept over the loss of one of us until he lost his sight; so how will it be when news reaches him that all his sons have been killed?” They then said to him, “If you do this, then send our goods to our father, for he is in such-and-such a place.” At that point, Joseph showed them mercy, wept, and spoke those words (3).

It was also said that he said this when he read the letter his father had sent to him and could not restrain his tears. 186/b He said: “Do you know what you did to Joseph and his brother when you separated them and did what you did, while you were ignorant of how Joseph’s affair would turn out?” It was also said that “ignorant” means sinful and disobedient. Al-Hasan said: It means that you were young, and possessed the ignorance of youth.

If it is asked: How could he say, “What you did to Joseph and his brother,” when they had done nothing to his brother and had not sought his detention? It is answered: They said to him concerning the cup, “Misfortune continues to afflict us.” It was also said that they had said, “We have never seen any good from you, O sons of Rachel.” And it was said that, because Joseph and his brother were born of the same mother, they used to harm Benjamin after Joseph’s disappearance.

Regarding their saying, “Are you indeed Joseph?” Ibn Kathir and Abu Ja'far recited it as a statement: “You are indeed Joseph,” while the others recited it as a question.

Ibn Ishaq said: Joseph had been speaking from behind a curtain. When he said, “Do you know what you did?” he removed the covering and lifted the veil, and they recognized him.

Al-Dahhak related from Ibn Abbas: When Joseph spoke these words, he smiled, and they saw his front teeth like strung pearls. They therefore thought him to resemble Joseph and asked, “Are you indeed Joseph?”